SL_PROFILE_GehmanDR_0922_Fianl_Layout 1 10 / 5 / 22 10 : 12 AM Page 2 Striking a Balance When taking on a home renovation , ost homeowners opt for a home renovation for one of two reasons : to enhance their quality of life ; or to increase the Gehman Design Remodeling strives to home’s appeal to a future buyer . Is it possible to accomplish enhance a homeoWner’s life While Mboth goals ? We spoke with renovation expert Dennis D . elevating the property’s Worth . Gehman , MCR , the head of Harleysville - based Gehman Design by B I L L D O N A H U E Remodeling , for his perspective . house is paid off , the kids ’ college For those who intend to don’t have to do all that much . is paid for , the kids ’ marriages are stay for the long term , I You don’t have to go overboard to Q & A taken care of , and now is the time imagine kitchens and make a good impression . Even to do something for themselves . bathrooms are the most some new knobs or pulls on the When people are consid - My advice is to take a good look at common renovations kitchen cabinets can go a long ering a home renovation , what you really like , and spend they’re asking you to do . way to get a decent return . With how much should they some time thinking about what By and large , yes , but if it’s a an average bathroom remodel , consider factors such as you really want so you will feel kitchen in an older home , most you’re going to recoup only 50 resale value and the pref - good about it 10 years from now . folks want more of an open floor percent of the cost if you turn erences of a potential plan . Once you do that , the project around and sell the home in a future buyer ? How often do you get evolves . When you decide to take year . Kitchens are about the same . Unless people know they are going involved in helping clients down walls , most likely you want The best return is overhead garage to sell their home within the next make aesthetic choices ? to have the same color paint and doors , which gets more than a 90 few years , it’s not necessarily a I met with a couple this morning flooring throughout the public percent return . It’s all about curb question they should ask . We have who were interested in a major areas . For the bathroom , a fair appeal . seen people do some really inter - project , and I was asking them amount of the empty nesters we Every other week we get a call esting , really bold things — about their tastes in terms of mate - work with want a master bath , from someone who is buying a turquoise - colored rooms , red carpet rials . The husband said his daughter and in some homes there just isn’t house and wants to flip it , and and walls , you name it . Something had just built a house in which all any way to do it without taking an now they need a contractor to help really off the wall that will require the colors were light gray and adjacent bedroom . In a five - bed - them get there . We’re not the right g a lot of time and effort to change white , and he said that was too room house , that’s not a big deal . contractor for that , because our elin might hinder a sale . If you plan on stark for him . I reinforced the idea It’s more limiting in a three - or focus is to not only add value to od living in the house for five years or that you should get what you want four - bedroom house , because cut - the property , but we also want to em more , paint it the color you want when you’re spending this kind of ting back too far on the number add to the homeowner’s quality R gn to paint it ; chances are the new money . It’s easy for me to say as a of bedrooms will turn off some of life . That’s what a good design - esi owners will repaint anyway . It tradesman that maybe you buyers if and when you do decide build contractor will do . D n might even be smart to repaint in shouldn’t consider this color or to sell . ma a neutral color before you go to that , but it really depends on the Geh gehman Design sell it . homeowner’s preferences . We will What advice do you have of For the types of projects we’re give our advice based on profes - for people who may be esy remodeling doing , by and large , people are sional experience , but it is their considering a move rt pa - 297 | 355 main street u hiring us because they have decided home . We want to be proud of o sooner than later ? harleysville , pa 19438 c o to stay in the home . A majority of the finished product , but you’re We recommend doing things that hot ( 215 ) 513 - 0300 our clients are empty nesters ; their the one who has to live with it . are very neutral so the next people GEHMANREMODELING.COM P SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 92 |